Archnet > Publication > The Reuse of a Hammam as a Public Services Centre--Hammam Suq El Ghezal; Towards a Sustainable Future

Constantine - The hammam in Islamic countries still occupies a very important urban and social place in the heart of the inhabitants. Even though, it is not as used as it used to be, it is considered as a monument; which is part of the Islamic heritage. People assume that “the hammam will not disappear socially. It also constitutes an intangible heritage; customs and traditions which still persist until today, as is the hammam. It is still related to festivals; it is engraved and fixed in the residents’ memory. This traditional building used to be a central place for social life and cultural heritage with complex urban and societal relations. Besides its cultural heritage values, the hammam is an integrative part of the locals’ life as well as an example of architectural heritage. Nowadays, although it still has a ‘’warm’’ place in the heart of the inhabitants, the hammam seems to have lost its function and activities. This paper presents scenarios for the adaptive reuse of hammam Suq El Ghezal as a public service centre in Constantine. It also outlines strategies for adapting the hammam features to contemporary Islamic life in North Africa.

Type

journal article

Year

2008

The hammam in Islamic countries still occupies a very important urban and social place in the heart of the inhabitants. Even though, it is not as used as it used to be, it is considered as a monument; which is part of the Islamic heritage. People assume that “the hammam will not disappear socially. It also constitutes an intangible heritage; customs and traditions which still persist until today, as is the hammam. It is still related to festivals; it is engraved and fixed in the residents’ memory. This traditional building used to be a central place for social life and cultural heritage with complex urban and societal relations. Besides its cultural heritage values, the hammam is an integrative part of the locals’ life as well as an example of architectural heritage. Nowadays, although it still has a ‘’warm’’ place in the heart of the inhabitants, the hammam seems to have lost its function and activities. This paper presents scenarios for the adaptive reuse of hammam Suq El Ghezal as a public service centre in Constantine. It also outlines strategies for adapting the hammam features to contemporary Islamic life in North Africa.

Debache-Benzagouta, Samira. "The Reuse of a Hammam as a Public Services Centre--Hammam Suq El Ghezal; Towards a Sustainable Future," in ArchNet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 2, issue 3 (2008).